She was born on Nov. 21, 1919, in Crystal City. After her formal schooling, she met and later married the love of her life, William Benhardt Sr. on June 29, 1940, in Overland. To this union were born three children: William Jr., Robert and Barbara. The family continued to live in Overland. During her spare time, she enjoyed reading.

Surviving are her loving children: Robert and wife, Carla, Benhardt, of Lake Saint Louis and Barbara Maloney and husband, Michael, of Crown Point, Ind.; seven grandchildren and many great-grandchildren; other relatives and friends.

Memorial gifts may be made to the American Heart Association or donor’s choice, c/o the funeral home.

Family and friends are invited to sign the on-line guest registry at: www.mccoyblossomfh.com.

Graveside services for Abigail and Quinn Foster will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2013, in the Elsberry City Cemetery with J. Larry Carter officiating.

Abigail and Quinn, twin daughters of Clinton Thomas and Samantha Lynn Holmes Foster, were stillborn on Jan. 11, 2013 at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis.

Abigail and Quinn are survived by their parents, Clinton and Sam Foster of Elsberry; and their big sister, Zoie Foster. They also leave paternal grandparents, Dennis and Debbie Foster of Elsberry; maternal grandparents: Tammy and Kenneth Morris of Elsberry, and Thomas Holmes III of Elsberry; paternal great-grandmother, Margaret Lagemann of Elsberry; maternal great-grandparents: Howard and Frankie White of Savannah, Tenn., Lois and Bill Brumfield of Florida, and Thomas Holmes, Jr. of New London; many aunts, uncles, cousins and other relatives.

Memorials may be made to the Family of Abigail and Quinn Foster or the charity of the donor’s choice in care of Carter-Ricks Funeral Home, 107 South Fifth Street, Elsberry, MO 63343. Online condolences may be made at www.carterricksfuneralhome.com.

Virginia von Bastian died on Dec. 29, 2012, at the age of 94.

She was born Oct. 5, 1918, at the family home in Silex, Mo. to Ruth Morgan and Claude Clare. After graduation from Silex High School in 1936, she attended Truman University in Kirksville where she met and married Dr. Carl von Bastian of Melbourne, Australia. They had two children, Carol Richman, of Carmichael, Calif. and Carl (Bob) von Bastian of Lincoln County, Mo.

Virginia was widowed in 1953 and raised her children while teaching high school biology in Shelbina, St. Charles and Jennings, Mo. She continued her education, received a Master’s degree in Education at Washington University and updated her skills through summer courses across the country. Virginia was a nature lover with a knack for nurturing sick plants and animals back to health. In addition to playing piano, she enjoyed scouting for arrowheads in freshly plowed fields on her family farm.

After retirement from full time teaching in 1977, she played a major role in nurturing her grandchildren, Eric von Bastian, Sarah Richman and Jacob Richman.

She is survived by her youngest sister, Roberta Harriss, of Ashland, Ore.; her cousin, Mary Creech, of Troy; her two children, three grandchildren; her new great-granddaughter, Micah von Bastian; her son-in-law, David Richman, granddaughter-in-law, Thez von Bastian, as well as her nieces, nephews and their families.

A reception in her honor was held Jan. 5, 2013, in St. Charles with subsequent private burial in the Sulphur Lick Cemetery in Lincoln County.

In her memory, donations can be made to the Knight Science Grant in care of the St. Charles School District Foundation, PO Box 1544, St. Charles, Mo. 63302.